


coalescence

by arachnistar



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-18
Updated: 2014-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-12 21:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1201822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arachnistar/pseuds/arachnistar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s the two of them being here at this moment that makes the empty square important. A trip to Barcelona.</p>
            </blockquote>





	coalescence

They rent a small flat in La Barceloneta partly for a more authentic experience and partly to be near the beach. There’s no air-conditioning, only a small fan they crowd around when they’re inside. It’s scorching hot throughout the day and well into the evening, both inside and out, but eventually the room cools down enough to leave the bliss of the fan and tumble into bed together.

Everything is sweaty and hot and delightful. Hands caress skin and lips linger anywhere they can reach but mostly on each other’s mouths and bodies burn even as they thrust and shift and – then they’re coming apart, falling together in a rolling crescendo.  

After, they fall asleep, their limbs tangled together, her head curled under his chin.

It’s still dark when he wakes. Even with the sun down and the covers kicked to the side, the small bedroom is already far too warm.

The Doctor considers rolling away from her body heat, it would be more comfortable at least, but he can’t bring himself to leave her just yet. He can wait a few more minutes before it becomes unbearable, yes that’s what he’ll do. He lies there a while longer, listening to the steady beat of her heart, running a hand along her arm, until she rolls away, sleepily muttering about heat and sweat.

He pokes her in the side and laughs softly. “Someone might think you wanted to get away.”

“Too hot.” Rose mutters back, words still heavy with sleep.  

“I try.”

Her lips quirk up and he grins.  

“What do you say to sangria and ice cream? Sangria with ice cream on the beach? Or back here? Sangria with ice cream in bed? Naked?” His eyebrows waggle and she snorts. “Or suppose we could go naked to the beach here. It’s allowed. Though,” his nose wrinkles, “that’d mean sharing. Bad idea. Let’s go back to plan A. Or was it plan B?”    

“Sure. Think any place is serving right now?”

“There’s always some place serving.”

x-x-x

Once the sun is properly up, they hike up to Park G _ü_ ell. Even with the sun beating down on them, making their hands slick with sweat, they hold on. He points out the sights and rattles on about them and she lets his voice wash over her. They pass a dog, one with a nose, black and moist, and they both remember Barcelona the planet. He never did get to take her there.

Never can now.

She nudges him, as if she can read his thoughts. “Doesn’t smell much, does he?”

“Good thing too. He’d have quite the problem on his paws if he did, nose that size.”

The two grin and continue on to the park.    

They climb past the mosaic salamander (“they call it el drac” the Doctor whispers in her ear, rolling his r and causing her to giggle) and turn to the terrace with its curving mosaic bench. There’s a spectacular view of the city beyond and below, all the buildings set out, antiquity and modernity all mixed together.

Without a TARDIS, they’re confined to this planet, this time. It should be so limiting, the entirety of space and time reduced to one small planet in one small time running linearly, and sometimes he feels the itch to run course through him like wildfire (not from her though) but not now. Up here, looking out over a city of heat and metal and stone, holding her hand, everything feels so huge and important and better than anything he could’ve imagined.

It always is with her.

He glances down at her and she grins back, tongue peeking out, and he can’t help kissing her until another tourist, a mother with two children tugging at her hands, coughs. He draws back, but can’t muster an ounce of apology in his expression. From the twitching smile on Rose’s face, he knows she’s the same.    

They mumble apologies anyway and then quickly move away from the terrace to find a table. He fetches a pitcher of sangria and two glasses. They sip at the cool beverage and laugh about insignificant things and eventually their conversation drops off into a natural lull.

Even in this companionable quiet, it’s the silence that lets the old ghosts run amok in his head. They’re happy and in love, but sometimes there are dark whispers and sometimes he needs to make sure. Once upon a time, he wouldn’t confront them, would instead hide behind Gaudi and alien attacks and supernovas, but not now. Especially now before…

“Are you happy?”

Rose stares at him like he’s lost it – it’s been years since Bad Wolf Bay and these issues have long since been handled and put aside – and then her eyes soften.

“Yes.” She reaches over and takes his hand. Runs a thumb along his skin. “Why? Aren’t you?”

“Yes. I just –” He trails off and stares instead at their joined hands. His heart trembles at the sight – it’s wonderful and frightening but mostly wonderful – and he can’t help the smile. When he looks up again, she’s smiling back. “I just wanted to make sure. Because I know this isn’t what you wanted. Well, not exactly anyway.”

“I’m with you in a city I’ve never been trying new things. It’s exactly what I want, Doctor.”    

He grins, relieved, and he knew that she would say those words, knows that she loves him and is happy with him and their life together, but sometimes words are nice too. It’s something new he’s learned. 

“Me too.”

x-x-x

A few days later, they venture into the old city. Here there are no cars and they travel down narrow streets crowded by other people and old Gothic buildings. The heat is ever-present, shimmering above the cobblestone at times, so they try sticking to shadows. They visit the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia where he tells her about saints and white geese, Plaça del Rei where they listen to musicians strum on guitars, the ruins of the temple of Augustus where he talks about time lost and preserved until she kisses him.

Eventually, stomachs grumbling, they find a small tapas restaurant tucked in a street corner. They try a variety of tapas – garlicky prawns sautéed in peppercorn sauce, pickled vegetables on skewers, fried green peppers, chorizo sausage slices - and the Doctor espouses the wonders of having small nibbles for an entire meal (“See you don’t have to settle for one thing – you can try everything! Isn’t that brilliant, Rose?” and she agrees partly because he’s right and partly because his enthusiasm is infectious enough to make him right).

After, they continue their tour. He talks a lot, telling her about Barcelona and history and running through dark streets with angry Spaniards on his tail. She listens and they lean against each other and time passes. The sun begins to set until the sky is plunged into a brilliant array of orange and red _._

He looks up, recalls another orange sky in another universe, far away and gone and nothing compared to this place and this woman and this life, and then looks to Rose. Today is about moving forward, not back.  

“Rose Tyler.”

They’ve stopped in a relatively empty square. Nothing special stands here, no grand cathedral or monument to mark the square, but it’s beautiful in its own way. In its simplicity but also, more importantly, in the two of them being right here right now together. Everything orbits around them, around this moment.    

“Hmm?”

She turns to him and he shuffles his feet. Words were so easy when he was going on and on about martyrs and crowns, but now they’ve dried up, as if he hasn’t spent hours planning and perfecting them in front of the mirror.

Well, he’s always done better with improv anyway.

“I want to be with you. Forever. And well this seems like the next right step and,” He pulls out the box and opens it for her. Inside there’s a ring glimmering in the fading sunlight. “Marry me?”

Rose’s lips crash into his. He nearly drops the ring, but manages to hold on. When she pulls away, she’s nodding and smiling and,  

“Yes.”


End file.
